A visual history of UK magazines, 1840-2011

V&A book History of British Magazine Design by Anthony Quinn

Magazines: a visual history				Magforum.com ISSN 1756-364X
This page forms a visual history of British magazines since 1840. The aim is to identify the launches and innovations that shaped the design of magazines and the industry itself. This is part of the research for two books. One is A History of British Magazine Design, published by the Victoria and Albert Museum and building on the superb collections in the National Art Library, which is housed in the V&A.		This design history page is in the form of a table, with the oldest titles at the top. Each magazine is a row and the columns are divided into decades. Some covers are shown for each title and the coloured background denotes continuous publication. Scroll across and down to the most recent magazines.		Please feel free to suggest specific pages, spreads, covers, images, people and magazines that you feel are important. Half the fun is in the debate! Changes in repro and printing and computerisation have all been important too. Contact me: tony -at- magforum.com

	1840s	1850s	1860s	1870s	1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
1. Gentleman's Magazine founded 1731
Scots Magazine 1739-1803	Scots Magazine								DC Thomson, 1924-
2. Spectator founded 1828. 'Oldest continuously-published magazine in English'
3.Punch 1841	Punch
4. Illustrated London News, 1842		1855: first colour Christmas supplement		1874 Christmas number with colour cover
5. Economist 1843	Economist
6			Queen												as Harper's & Queen; but Queen title later dropped in favour of Harper's Bazaar
7				Vanity Fair
8																turns into porn title
9					Answers
10					Pearson's
					1880s	1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
11
						The Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine/ London Magazine/ New London Magazine 1898-1933
12						Sketch
13						Country Life
14
						1890s	1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
15							London Opinion
16							Bystander
17. Tatler, 1901
18 John Bull, 1908
							1900s	1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
20
20															As Parade, turns into porn title
21
22
23								Picture Show
								1910s	1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
									Ideal Home 1920- founded by William Morris and Captain G.C. Clark
24									Time & Tide launched in 1920
26
25
27
28
29
									1920s	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
30
31
32										Woman - launched as UK's first full colour weekly by Odhams on new gravure presses built in Watford
33										Everywoman
34										Woman Illustrated
35															turns into porn title
36
37
38
39
										1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
40
41
42
												1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
51
52
53

													1960	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010	2020
54
55
56
57
														1970	1980	1990	2000	2010	2020
58

59
60
61
62
63
64																		Contract magazines boom
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72															Mixmag
73
74
75
76
77
78
															1980	1990	2000	2010	2020
79																Sleazenation
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
																1990	2000	2010	2010
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
	1840	1850	1860	1870	1880	1890	1900	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010	2020

Magazines: a visual history